Racin' & Internet Stuff:
By Tom Avenengo
Volume # 102
07/26/2012
First:
This past Thursday, I, along with grandson
John, went to OCFS to take in the 358 Small Block show. Rather than having to park somewhere out in
the “North 40”, we went into the drive-in section. Cars were restricted to the first two rows,
while trucks were above that. Up towards
the top were vehicles that belonged to fair people. The drive-in wasn’t full. What I was really surprised at, in a way, was
the scarce “crowd” that was in the full covered and half covered stands. I think that, at the most, maybe 200 people
in those stands? It cost $25.00 for us
to go into the drive-in - $12.00 each and $1.00 to park. For the stands, if you didn’t get your ticket
the day prior, it would cost you the price of getting into the fair - $8.00,
then getting your race ticket - $12.00.
Total: $20.00. I kinda figure that
is one of the main reasons for the small attendance, maybe? Back in the day, when they raced during the
fair, you’d pay to get into the fair, and then get that cost taken off of the
race ticket. One big drawback on going
in the drive-in is that when you can see the cars on the front stretch, they’re
just basically “shadows”, since there is no lighting on the inside of the
track. Quite difficult to tell which car
is which.
Second:
I really don’t know how the “Open Tire” rule
for the 358’s worked out, at OCFS last Thursday, but I did read on the Internet
that all cars in the feature had Hoosier tires on all four.
Third:
I’m “Old school”. Back when I started going to the races, the
race drivers were all men. Today, there
are kids racing Sportsman cars that are all of 13 years old, and are tiny! Kinda scary. But the thing is – they’re getting the job
done.
Note:
Check out what is said in the AARN section further down in the column,
in the Lenny Sammons part.
Fourth:
Brickyard
400 fans face ban on campfires, charcoal grills
The ban prohibits open
burning including comfort fires or campfires and also bars the use of fireworks
and charcoal and non-gas grills.
Tailgaters still have
some options. Gas grills are allowed in camping and tailgating areas but must
be at least 18 inches off the ground.
The U.S. Drought Monitor
shows more than half of
The above was found via
a link on Jayski’s website.
Fifth:
I was on the phone with
my brother this past Monday night. He
lives down in
Usually when we talk the
subject always goes to auto racing and all the good times we had, back in the
day. We both agree that we were pretty
lucky growing up when we did and being able to see some of the greats race, in
person.
Funny, but we can both
still remember certain happenings at various races that we had attended – back
in the 40’s. He can still recall some of
the races he witnessed at the
Sixth:
If you recall, this was
in last weeks column in the “Jayski” news section:
“Yeley moving to Tommy
Baldwin Racing:
J.J.
Yeley, who has been driving the #49 for Robinson-Blakeney Racing, tweeted Wednesday morning, "Making some positive changes for
the remainder of 2012. Moving over to TBR". No additional details
available yet.(7-18-2012)”
Looking
at the entry list for the Brickyard 400, I see that neither J.J. nor the 37
car, which is the one he’ll be driving, is listed, so far.
Seventh:
There was a
special race at the I-88 Speedway this past Tuesday night – a Wade Decker
Memorial race. A lot of rain the day
before raised havoc with the racing surface.
I’ve read of numerous flips and crashes taking place, and the worst one
was in a Street Stock race.
Found on Facebook:
“We would like to ask
everyone to say prayers for the Decker family as Denny Decker flipped his
Street Stock Wildly at I88 Speedway last night during the Wade Decker memorial.
The race track was very rough and may have been the cause of the wreck. Denny
has a broken neck that is putting pressure on his spinal cord. He will be going
in for surgery very shortly and only has a little feeling in one section of one
arm. Please keep him in your prayers. he's going to need them, it's going to be
a long road to recovery.”
Surely
there will be astronomical hospital costs incurred. But what concerns me is whether Denny Decker
was wearing a HANS device or similar piece of safety equipment, or not. Also, how about insurance? Quite a few times, in my columns, I’ve put a
link to insurance for those that race – those that race any kind of vehicle, as
long as it has a roll cage.
Here’s
that link, again: http://www.stida.com/
As for safety equipment, face
it, the biggest reason most drivers that don’t have things like the HANS device
is mainly due to the cost. Yep, it’s a
shame that what one can use to keep one safe is so costly, isn’t it?
Eighth:
Bad news. This came out on Facebook
on Tuesday:
“The ROC Modifieds have been cancelled August 4th. "After
speaking with our teams the majority just felt it would be too much of a
hardship to make the trip to Wall Stadium this August. We appreciate the
understanding of our fans, teams and the management of Wall Stadium
Speedway." -Andrew Harpell
Final Schedule TBA, but so far we will be adding
a 50 Lap 4-Cylinder Feature August 4th.”
Ninth:
Highway fatalities unexpectedly surge.
Any idea as to why it’s being
thought? You might be surprised. I was.
Check out the article
here:
http://autos.yahoo.com/news/highway-fatalities-unexpectedly-surge.html
Then check out the comments
that follow.
Tenth:
Back when I first started
writing, and getting press credentials, I had the opportunity to interview some
up and coming drivers at the speedway in
Eleventh:
Ouch! Looking at the results for the NEMA Midget
race at Star Speedway, in
And, from what I can see, the
ARDC had 18 cars for their show at the Mercer Speedway, last weekend. I imagine the ARDC would be a little stronger
today if the schedule they had for Big Diamond, for the 2012 season, didn’t get
cut.
There’s a lot of talk on the ARDC’s message board about rules and midget engines, on
this thread: rules are rules…but…
Which can be found, if you go
here:
http://www.ardcmidgets.com/Messageboard.asp
TV listings:
Mainly NASCAR stuff.
http://www.jayski.com/pages/tv.htm
Coming up:
At Accord this coming Friday,
the added class is the 4 Cylinder cars.
I noticed that the speedway was looking for another date for the rained
out CRSA 305 Sprint Car show from last Friday.
Looking at the CRSA schedule, I see they were originally scheduled for
“The Ridge” on 8/17, and they have an open date on 8/24. On 8/17, the Lightning Sprints are scheduled
for Accord, while on the 24th, the 4 Cylinders are.
Note # 1: Found on Facebook
around 10:00 PM on Tuesday:
“Looks like we will be back in action sooner than we thought.
Just hear accord has added lightning sprints to the schedule for the remainder
of the season. If my car owners makes it back from his trip on time I will be
running this Friday.”
Note
# 2: As of midnight on Wednesday, I
should mention that there is no notice or mention of this on the Accord
Speedway website.
At OCFS this coming Saturday,
the fair is still on-going. Its double
point night, and the CRSA 305 Sprint Cars will also be in action.
Down in
Some info on that night and events can be
seen if you go here:
http://www.newegyptspeedway.net/news/2012/071712.htm
At OCFS on
August 4th, a return of “Nostalgia Night”. ACOT will also have some cars come in. Whether they get track time would depend on
how the show moves along, I’d venture to say.
How I wish there was an ACOT member that has an outboard powered midget
that runs!
This, below,
found on the Victory Speedway’s message board:
About some of
the “old timers”:
“Confirmed list...those that said they would attend...stands
at exactly 60.
Last year, close to 20 of the comfirms
failed to appear because of the possibility of rain.
Buzzi Reutimann is a comfirmed
YES along with Carl Van Horn, Bobby Bottcher, Anthony
Ferraioulo, Charlie Shire, Jerry Wilson and the
infamous Henry Sharp..
And: Bobby Bottcher, Carl Reynolds, Jerry Wilson, Steve Makocy, Sammy Rogers, Carol Birchwale,
The Jeffer, Carl Van Horn, the Ferraiuolo's,
Ty Scott, and Frank Jashembowski.
Buzzi has been offered a
ride in a Modified for the evening...I hope he accepts the offer and gives us
memories of the past.
Track program will have an insert poster of the drivers.
And:
“If Buzzi accepts the ride for the
night, it will be in the Sparta Trucking Ray and Debbie Tuit
#673.”
Note: There are a couple of
photos from a recent “Nostalgia Night” at OCFS, towards the end of this column.
Found
on Jayski’s website:
Allmendinger
Indefinitely Suspended From NASCAR Competition:
AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #22
Dodge in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, has been suspended indefinitely from
NASCAR for violating the sanctioning body's substance abuse policy. On July 24,
Allmendinger was found to have violated Sections 12-1
(actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 19 (NASCAR's substance abuse
policy) of the 2012 NASCAR rule book. As outlined in the rule book, NASCAR next
will provide Allmendinger a letter outlining a
process for reinstatement. By agreeing to the letter, he will be allowed to
participate in the Road to Recovery Program.(NASCAR)
see earlier updatees
about Allmendinger's situation on the #22 team news page.(7-24-2012)
Penske Racing Statement:
"In accordance with NASCAR's Substance Abuse Policy,
Penske Racing was notified today of AJ Allmendinger's
positive B sample test. We respect NASCAR's policy and the process they have
taken with this matter. Penske Racing is very disappointed with the result of
the B sample test and will evaluate its course of action as it pertains to AJ over
the coming week. Sam Hornish Jr., will drive the #22
Dodge Charger this weekend at
Walldinger
Racing Statement:
Aegis Analytical Laboratories in
Shell / Pennzoil Statement:
"Shell and Pennzoil believe that the process and
procedures that NASCAR has in place as part of their substance abuse policy are
appropriate and serve to ensure that the sport and its participants are held to
the highest standards. We share Penske Racing's disappointment with the result
of AJ's (Allmendinger) B
sample test and will work closely with them to determine plans moving forward.
We hope for the best for AJ during this difficult time."(Shell Motorsports)
Allmendinger
Update: Road to Recovery:
"While we await further information from testing to
determine the cause, we have notified NASCAR that AJ will participate in the
Road to Recovery Program starting immediately. As we have stated earlier, we
respect NASCAR's drug testing policies. They are first and foremost in place to
protect drivers and AJ being among those. We fully support the program, and and as more details become available, we will share them.
We would like to personally thank Mr. Helton and John Bobo
for helping worked through this in an expeditious manner." -Tara Ragan,
Vice President, Walldinger Racing Inc.
see earlier and all updates / reports /
statements about Allmendinger's / Penske Racing's
situation on the #22 team news page.(7-25-2012)
Amphetamines caused Allmendinger's positive test:
Suspended Sprint Cup driver AJ Allmendinger
tested positive for amphetamines, his business manager confirmed Wednesday.
Tara Ragan, the vice president of Walldinger Racing
Inc., said Allmendinger was told when initially
suspended by NASCAR on July 7 that amphetamines were found in his drug testing
sample taken a week earlier. She said the term was so broad that she opted to
refer to it as a stimulant. Brand names of medications that contain or
metabolize into amphetamines include Adderall,
Dexedrine, Dextrostat, Desoxyn,
Didrex, ProCentra and Vyvanse. Amphetamines also are used recreationally as a
performance enhancer, often referred to on the street as "speed."
When overused, they can be psychologically and physically addictive. "With
amphetamines, there are a whole slew of things it can be," Ragan told
ESPN.com. "When we say we don't know what it is, what we were trying to
ascertain is what is it in that grouping? In our head, we don't know. In fact,
when the (medical review officer) first called and said he tested positive for
amphetamines, the first thing we said was, 'What does that mean?'" Ragan
said the hope is Dr. David Black, who runs Aegis Sciences Corporation in
Nashville, Tenn., which tested Allmendinger's
"A" and "B" urine samples, will help clarify that Thursday
when Allmendinger talks to him to be assigned a
health care facility for assessment. Meanwhile, Ragan said there are plans to
have Allmendinger tested again by an independent
laboratory to see whether amphetamines still show up in his system. "We
weren't being evasive," Ragan said. "In my head, no, we didn't know
what the drug was. Amphetamines was too general for us when trying to figure
out what it is."(more at ESPN.com)(7-25-2012)
Stewart says he will have three
teams in 2013:
#14-Tony Stewart, driver of the #14-Office Depot/Mobil 1
Chevy and owners of Steweart-Haas Racing (#14,
#10-Patrick & #39-Newman) was the guest on the NASCAR Weekly
Teleconference. Below is the transcript in part, dealing with the loss of the
U.S. Army on the #39 Chevy of Ryan Newman and plans for 2013:
Q. With U.S. Army now leaving a few weeks ago, where does that
leave you as far as commitments with new sponsorship for your team next year?
Stewart: We're working on it, it's definitely still a setback
but –
Q. Is it your hope to have three cars next year?
Stewart: Yes, and it has been since we signed Danica.
Q. On the sponsorship deal, last year at this time
it seemed like the environment was changing a little bit and maybe getting a
little bit better and if you're still seeing that kind of thing and what it's
like out there now in terms of what kinds of things you're having to do to get
sponsors now that maybe you were or were not last year at this time.
Stewart: Well, I still think it's
gaining momentum. We have been able to bring in Aspen Dental and Quicken Loans
on board and those are two companies that had not been a part of NASCAR racing
in the past. I'm pretty proud of that side of it. You know, it was definitely a
huge disappointment that we were going to lose the U.S. Army. But it's not
something that we have had a lot of at Stewart Haas Racing, we have not lost a
lot of partners. And especially a group like U.S. Army, they have been a lot of
fun to work with and they been a very dedicated group and have been very
involved with what the race team is doing and very such pore at this point. We
are going to miss out having them on board next year. But I still think it's
coming around. There's a lot of new companies that we are seeing in the sport,
and we are seeing that in our organization. So we are not giving up hope and
throwing in the towel thinking that we are losing one sponsor; we are going to
hopefully be able to try to find somebody else.(Team Chevy)(7-25-2012)
Andretti says
Cup in 2013 'highly unlikely':
Michael Andretti says time is running out for his
Indianapolis-based racing organization to join NASCAR for next season. The
owner of Andretti Autosport said it's now
"highly unlikely" that he'll be involved with the Sprint Cup Series
in 2013. "We've got a couple of (sponsorship) deals working, but it's
getting late," Andretti said following the first practice of the Edmonton
Indy. "It's not dead yet, but it's highly unlikely." Andretti bought
his IndyCar team in 2003, but the cost of
participating in IndyCar is at least one-third of
what it takes to be in Sprint Cup.(USA Today/Indianapolis Star)(7-21-2012)
Note # 1: To be
perfectly honest here, I don’t put much into what Michael Andretti has to say,
especially after he said he had no knowledge of a third road race for Indy cars
some years ago, a race that was being put on by Andretti/Green, down in
Florida.
Note # 2: Hmm, just
wondering – what about this, from my 99th column, back on July 5th:
“Andretti is considering forming NASCAR team: UPDATES - Dodge and Penske
deny deal:
One of IndyCar's biggest names could branch out to the Sprint Cup
Series as Michael Andretti told SI.com that he is hoping to start a NASCAR
team. "We were looking at NASCAR real close last year, too, but it fell
apart," Andretti said. "We were looking at it just as hard last year
as this year and the year before." If Andretti is able to find the right
sponsorship, he could team up with Dodge and base his team out of the old Evernham Motorsports shop at the
UPDATE:
Sources have
confirmed to PitPass.net that Michael Andretti has purchased the engine program
from Penske Racing and will field at least one full time Dodge in the Cup
series in 2013 and beyond. No word on who the driver is, but with Matt Kenseth leaving Roush at the end of the season, the 2003
Cup series champ did confirm to the Journal Sentinel on Wednesday that he will
drive for "a new cup team" in 2013 and beyond. One option on the
table is for Andretti to base his team out of the old Evernham
Motorsports shop at the
UPDATE 2:
In response
to inquiries about the company's NASCAR motorsports program, Beth Paretta, Director of Marketing and Operations - SRT Brand
and Motorsports, Chrysler Group LLC, offers the following statement: "While
we continue to evaluate plans in NASCAR for 2013 and beyond, we have no
commitments with any partners at this time. We continue to be pleased with the
amount of interest from the media and fans in our motorsports program and will
continue to follow our process as established in a timely manner. When
decisions are finalized, we will announce them at that time. Currently what is
most important is that we have not lost any focus on 2012 and our partnership
with Penske Racing. Our commitment to win races and compete for championships
with Penske Racing in both the Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series this
season remains firm. We will not lose focus on that partnership as we make
decisions about our future in NASCAR."(Darnell Communications for Dodge)(6-29-2012)
UPDATE 3:
Tim Cindric, President of Penske Racing, issued the following
statement: "Contrary to recent published speculation, Penske Racing has
not sold its engine company. The team's focus continues to be on successfully
completing the 2012 season, competing for championships and victories in the
both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series for Dodge and our other sponsor
partners."(Penske Racing)(6-30-2012).”
HANS introduces new adjustable
device:
HANS Performance Products, the inventors of the head and neck
restraint, announced the HANS Adjustable - a revolutionary new safety device.
The HANS Adjustable, which meets the SFI Foundation's Spec. 38.1 for head and
neck restraints, enables all drivers to purchase a HANS with full confidence of
a comfortable fit no matter what type of car or racing seat they use.
Previously, customers ordered a HANS Device in a fixed angle according to the
driver's physical size and type of seating position in the car -- such as an
upright seat in stock cars or a reclined seat in open-wheel machines. The HANS
Adjustable is eligible for use in most
Military sponsorships will be
allowed to continue:
NASCAR and bass fishing can count on the military to keep the
sponsorship money coming. The House voted Wednesday night to continue spending
millions for the military to back sports to attract recruits for the
all-volunteer force. On a vote of 216-202, the House rejected an amendment by
Reps. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., and Betty McCollum, D-Minn., that would have trimmed $72.3 million for sports
sponsorships from a $608 billion defense bill for fiscal 2013. The measure had
targeted the money the National Guard spends to sponsor Dale Earnhardt Jr.,
NASCAR's most popular driver, as well as IndyCar
Series driver JR Hildebrand. It also would have cut money the Army spends on
the National Hot Rod Association drag racing, funds the Marine Corps uses for
the Ultimate Fighting Championship and money spent on bass fishing. The House
spent most of the day and night debating the far-reaching defense legislation
that provides money for war, troops and weapons next year. Yet talk of
Earnhardt's #88, bass fishing and NASCAR dominated the discussion.
Sprint Cup Racing Coming to ESPN
for Second Half of Season:
The Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, one of the
premier events in NASCAR, will be the launching point for ESPN's live,
flag-to-flag telecasts of the final 17 races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
season on Sunday, July 29.
ESPN's multimedia platforms will surround the
race telecasts on television, radio, online and on mobile devices. Of the 17
races, 14 will air on ESPN and WatchESPN and three
Saturday night events will air on ABC, and ESPN's flagship news and information
program SportsCenter will follow the 14 ESPN race
telecasts with additional post-race interviews, highlights and information.
Beginning Sept. 16 at Chicagoland
Speedway, the final 10 races will comprise the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup,
NASCAR's playoffs, culminating Nov. 18 at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the
crowning of the series champion.
For the 10 races in the Chase for the NASCAR
Sprint Cup, ESPN will again utilize NASCAR NonStop, a
split-screen commercial format that brings more racing action to viewers. The
format, which ESPN used for the first time in 2011, shows the advertisement on
the left side of the screen and a continuation of racing action on the right
side. ESPN's scoring ticker continues to move across the top of the screen,
allowing NASCAR fans to follow the running order of the race during the breaks.
NASCAR NonStop takes effect at or near the halfway
point of the race, with the first half of the race presented in the traditional
commercial break format.
ESPN's NASCAR Sprint Cup coverage team will
include four former NASCAR Sprint Cup champions, led by analyst Dale Jarrett,
the 1999 driving champion, who will work with two-time champion crew chief Andy
Petree and lap-by-lap announcer Allen Bestwick in the booth. Rusty Wallace, the 1989 driving
champion, and three-time champion crew chief Ray Evernham
will be analysts for NASCAR Countdown with host Nicole Briscoe and analyst Brad
Daugherty, a NASCAR team owner.
Pit reporters during ESPN's 17-race NASCAR
Sprint Cup coverage will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro,
Dr. Jerry Punch, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch while
Marty Reid will be the lap-by-lap announcer for the remainder of ESPN's NASCAR
Nationwide Series race telecasts beginning with Indianapolis.(ESPN)(7-23-2012)
NASCAR looking at changes to
qualifying?
NASCAR is kicking around the idea of qualifying the top 38
drivers on time and cutting the number of provisionals
down to four plus one for former champions. With sponsors at a premium right
now, it could be catastrophic to eliminate provisionals
altogether, particularly when a driver missing a race could result in a
benefactor pulling its support from the team.(Fox Sports)(7-24-2012)
Kinda old news, and not quite 100% accurate in
what is said, but I thought I’d add this to the column, anyway,
All over the
Note: No, Dan Wheldon and Helio Castroneves did not win Nationwide races at
Going back, in time – in
racing history:
Note# 1: Most of the following information was found
here:
http://www.wheelsofspeed.com/history.html
Note: 2: Yes, most of this info is mostly from Open
Wheel racing from “Back in the day”.
This week I’ll cover from July 26th
to August 2nd:
JULY 26
1938
Bruce Craig... Born ... He was a self-employed auto racing photographer,
videographer, and historian who was well known throughout the
1950
Rich Vogler ...
Born ... USAC Midget and Sprint Car driver. Inductee in the National Sprint Car
Hall of fame. First to win both the USAC Sprint Car and Midget Championships in
the same season. His 134 wins (95 Midget, 35 Sprint, and four Silver Crown
wins) in national events is second only to A. J. Foyt's
169. [1] [3] Vogler had 170 total USAC wins, and won
over 200 "outlaw" (non-USAC) midget races. Five starts at Indy, best
finish - eighth in 1989 driving a Penske. In the last race of his life, July
21, 1990 during an ESPN "Saturday Night Thunder" national broadcast,
he was killed while leading a sprint car race at the
1952
Doug Wolfgang ... Born ...
He spent nearly twenty years criss-crossing the
country as one of the world's greatest race car drivers. But Doug Wolfgang's
career came to an end after two horrific accidents.
1965
Curtis Turner is reinstated
by NASCAR, after a 4 year ban for trying to organize a drivers union.
JULY 27
1963
Mario Andretti entered his
first road race. He won the race at Lime Rock,
Note: Check out the little story on this at the end
of this section of the column.
1969
Mickey Shaw ... Died ...
USAC driver from the 1960's. Mickey Shaw died at a nearby hospital after
pulling into the pits during preliminaries of a USAC Sprint Car race at the
Eldora Speedway the day before complaining of chest pains.
1996
Jim Hall announced his
retirement as a CART team owner.
JULY 28
1985
Emerson Fittipaldi gets his first win in a CART Indycar at the
JULY 29
1951
Cecil Green ... Died ... An
American racecar driver from
Walt Brown ... Died ... AAA
driver from the 1940's and early 50's who ran in 3 Indy 500's with a best
finish of 7th in 1947. He died in a race at the Williams Grove Speedway (PA).
Bill Mackey ... Died ...
AAA driver from 1949 to 1951. His name at birth was William Gretsinger,
Jr. He was killed in a sprint car crash at Winchester Speedway.
Black Sunday .. On this
day, three big-time drivers, each of whom were veterans of the
JULY 30
1946
Neil Bonnett ...
Born ... NASCAR driver who compiled 18 victories and 20 poles over his 18-year
career and died from injuries suffered in a practice crash at Daytona. He was
part of the famous "Alabama Gang". Bonnett
was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame in
1997, was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2001 and
was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.
1981
Bud Tingelstad... Died ... USAC driver from
1957 to 1972 in the Midget, Sprint, Stock Car and Championship Car series. In
the Championship Cars he raced in the 1960-1971 seasons with 120 starts,
including the
JULY 31
1912
Henry Guerand... Born ... AAA driver from the
1930's.
Note: Guerand
was fatally injured while racing on the
From Motorsports Memorial:
“Henry Guerand of
The car, still carrying Guerand's lifeless
body, continued its course around the turn colliding with Bill Schindler and
finally came to a stop when it ran into a hay bale. Schindler received cuts
about the face and nose. The race was halted with Johnny Ritter declared the
winner.
1916
Louise Smith ... Born ...
She was tied for the second woman to race in NASCAR at the top level. She was
known as "the first lady of racing." She went as a spectator to the
her first NASCAR race at the Daytona Beach Road Course in 1949. She couldn't
stand watching the races, so she entered her family's shiny new Ford coupe in
the race and rolled it. Her hometown
1963
Bill Randall ... Died ...
He raced sprint cars and midgets, winning the Eastern USAC Sprint Car title in
1957 and finishing third in the ARDC Midget Championship in 1961. In Champ Cars
he raced at Daytona in 1959 in the USAC event driving a Kurtis
500C Offy, finishing 14th. He tried to qualify for
the Indy 500 in 1961 but was unsuccessful. In 1962 he qualified for a race at
1991
Al Loquasto ...
Died ... Al drove in the USAC and CART Championship Car series, racing in the
1969-1980 and 1982-1983 seasons, with 61 combined career starts, including the
1976 and 1977 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten 11 times, with his
best finish in 7th position in 1975 at
AUGUST 1
1964
"Big Daddy" Don Garlits became the first drag racer to run the
1/4 mile at over 200 mph. He drove his Swamprat
dragster to 201.34 mph at Island Dragway in
1971
Richard Petty became the
first NASCAR driver to win over $1 million in a career when he won the Dixie
500 at
1988
Sheldon Kinser... Died ... He was the 1977, 81,
82 United States Auto Club (USAC) National Sprint Car Champion. Winner of the
prestigious Tony Hulman Classic at the Terre Haute
Action Track, 1981. Six time starter of the
1998
Len Duncan... Died ... Len Duncan, of
1999
Tommy Hinnershitz... Died ... Eastern AAA
driver from 1932 to 1960. Also known as "The Flying Dutchman", Hinnershitz ran in the Indy 500 three times with a best
finish of 9th in 1948. He captured seven Eastern sprint-car championships and
posted 103 feature victories during his 30-year racing career. While he first
gained success and popularity near his
AUGUST 2
1964
Parnelli Jones, driving A.J. Foyt's
# 2 TRACO Chevy Special, won the USAC Sprint Car race over Don Branson, Bud Tingelstad, Jud Larson and Mario Andretti at the Salem
Speedway,
The story on that
win by Mario Andretti:
Marios first road race win
The Lime Rock Formula Libre
(‘run what you brung’) Race was a landmark event.
There is an account & photos of the event at coldplugs.com
http://www.coldplugs.com/lime_rock_park01.htm
Note:
Link no longer works.
BTW: A zillion races at Lime Rock & just a few involving Midgets.
But in addition to Rodger Ward’s historic win, Mario Andretti’s 1st ever road
race win came in a midget @ Lime Rock.
And, in that same event, Mark Donohue was
driving his first professional race.
Donohue drove a Cooper/Offy midget owned by…Ken Brenn. Donohue wrote of Ken Brenn
& the first money ($600) he made racing, on pages 22-26 in his book, ‘The
Unfair Advantage.
There were a couple of heats & Donohue wrote they were repairing the
Cooper-Offy & were going to miss the start, but
Dutch Schaeffer put his car on the grid & disappeared.
They were hunting & paging Dutch like crazy, but he didn’t get back from
the ‘men’s room’ until the repairs on Brenn’s Cooper/Offy were completed.
So, the great Dutch Schaeffer made it possible for Mark Donohue to win his
first pro money.
Found on the Internet:
Economist Schiff:
Upcoming Crash Will Pale 2008
In part:
“Investors need to prepare for an upcoming stock market
crash that will be “worse than 2008.”
That’s
according to a well-respected author and investor, making a recent appearance
on Fox Business.
Peter
Schiff, the CEO of Euro Pacific Capital, says the stock market collapse we experienced
in 2008 “wasn’t the real crash. The real crash is coming.”
He
says that Federal stimulus, or quantitative easing, never works and that it
just makes the economy sicker in the end. “The reason we are so screwed up is
all this quantitative easing is toxic. I don’t doubt that we are going to
pressure
Schiff’s
solution is to raise interest rates, but he acknowledges that it would bring a
huge downside risk with it. “In
More
on this can be seen if you go here:
http://www.newsmaxworld.com/the_americas/financial_schiff_wiedemer/2012/07/03/460068.html
News
from the AARN:
From
the July 17th issue:
I
usually do this part on Wednesday, about the last thing for the column. Well, this weeks news from the AARN will be
somewhat short. I had some running
around to do – getting copies made of paperwork that’s required for us to see
if we can get some financial assistance for the wife when she starts her chemo
therapy. All of a sudden things have
come together, and it was imperative that I get the paperwork and required
items sent out on Wednesday.
Lenny
Sammons:
He
had a good portion of his column devoted to Bob Lutz – he the step son of Glenn
Donnelly. (It was back in the early
80’s, when Glen and DIRT took over OCFS, that Bob was down and he, Chris Foster
and my son, Eric, had the ok to run their Karts on the big 5/8 mile track in
Middletown. We had Accord gearing on the Karts, so we didn’t expect high
speeds. What we didn’t expect was some
broken Kart frames due to the roughness of the track!).
Bob
is 42 now, and has really come a long way since those days! Today, he is the sole proprietor of both the
NASCAR and Mario Andretti Driving Experiences.
He’s also purchased Myrtle Beach Speedway in
Bob
has been working with the same people that Donnelly has worked with – the
different racing surface for this new track, to be built a little north of
Mr.
Sammons also makes mention of “Pre-teen” race
driver, Kyle Strohl, 12 years old, from
Ernie Saxton:
Might there be a drivers
union in NASCAR? From Carl Edwards:
“My point is that I think
until the drivers, this is just my theory.
I think the drivers need to get together and we need to have our own
group that is paid by us, that works for us, to be here in tandem with NASCAR
drug testers and have them test us at the same time so that we have not just an
“A” and “B” sample”.
That’s if for this week,
folks. Wish I had checked the paper a
day or so earlier. My bad!
From
this weeks issue (July 24th):
In
AARN
This
Week:
Darrah's Return To Home State
Yields
Huge Grove WoO Victory
Oxford 250 Won
By Joey 'Pole'
- Who Earns
$45,500
Matt Hirschman
Finally
Gets His
Long Overdue
Race Of
Champions
Goodyear's
Sprint Car
Tire Deal
Comes Under Fire
Ted Christopher
Loses NASCAR
Mod Tour Ride
Stewart
Friesen
Uses
Multiple Rides
To
Maintain Win Spree
Indiana
Speed Week Honors
To
Clayton, Thomas,
Stanbrough & Darland
Shaffer
Wins Back To Back
All
Star Sprint Races
In
Central New York
Message
From DIRT:
The
Rules Will Be Enforced
Former
At OCFS last Thursday, in the 358 Modified feature,
Tim Hindley was 3rd, Brian Krummel 4th, Danny Creeden
6th, Tommy Hindley 7th, Zack Vavricka 14th, Tyler Boniface 17th
and Mike Doty 18th.
Brian Krummel won the
Sportsman feature, with Tyler Dippel 6th,
Joe Conklin 14th, Matt Hitchcodk 17th,
Matt Janiak 18th, Anthony Perrego 19th, John Lodini
20th and RJ Smykla 24th. LJ Lombardo was a DNQ.
In the Rookie Sportsman feature, Seth Pacella was 2nd and John Illanovsky
was 5th.
At Devil’s Bowl, Alex Bell was 8th in the
Modified feature.
Bobby Hackel, IV, was 5th
in the Sportsman “A” feature at A/S.
Lyle Armstrong was 7th and Kolby Schroder 8th in the Modified feature at
Nick Pecko was 3rd
in the Sport Modified feature at Mountain Speedway.
Johnny Guarino finished 7th
in the Modified feature at New Egypt.
At Hamlin, in the 270n Micro Sprint feature, Rick Casario was 9th, Jacob Hendershot
19th, while Mike Casario is shown to be a
DQ. Kyle Rohner
won the 600 Micro Sprint feature. Paul Tigue was 5th and Tighe
Sherlock 10th in the Junior Slingshot feature.
Rich Coons won the Sportsman feature at
Very sorry if I missed anyone!
Going back, in time at OVRP’s Dirt Oval:
From
August 3, 2002:
http://www.whowon.com/Results.asp?TrackID=1904&StoryID=69556
The Start and Park Reform Act
of 2012
An Opinion
July 24, 2012
By Doug Demmons
Call them the Dirty Dozen.
They're the approximately 12
drivers who started and parked during Sunday’s Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway.
Approximate because a couple
of the 12 drivers who were in the garage by Lap 47 may or may not have intended
to race on to the end and may or may not have been hampered by legit mechanical
problems.
The rest of them caught an
S&P virus that seems to be spreading.
NASCAR doesn’t keep records
for start and park. It barely acknowledges its existence. But Sunday might have
been some kind of S&P record. By Lap 60 there were only 30 cars left in the
race.
Apparently a plague of
mechanical misfortune struck Sunday at Chicagoland --
vibration, overheating, clutch, vibration, overheating, vibration, rear gear,
ignition, handling, handling, engine, engine, transmission. Those were the
official reason listed for the teams that were out early.
Back in the day -- before
parts and pieces were as reliable as they are today -- that wasn’t so out of
the ordinary. Races were 500 miles just to see who could make it that far
without breaking down.
Now the race is to see who
can get to the garage first. The winner on Sunday was Jeff Green, who edged
Carl Long with a Lap 4 park.
Green’s last-place finish
padded his all-time NASCAR Nationwide Series lead in that category among all
drivers. Through May he had 31 of them.
It’s an old problem and
ranting about it sometimes feels like beating a parked horse. But a dozen start
and parks? Seriously? Is that something that should continue to be tolerated?
Whenever I rant about start
and parks I get a litany of excuses about why the poor S&P drivers have to
do what they do.
Do you want to drive all
these competitors out of the sport?
No, just out of a series they
are ill-equipped or underfunded to compete in. If they cannot afford to compete
in Cup, go to Nationwide. If Nationwide is too much, try Trucks. If Trucks is
too pricey, try ARCA or Grand-Am or late models. Compete where your budget
makes you competitive.
But they have to start and
park to keep their teams going.
I can tolerate an occasional
start and park by a team that mostly runs full races but has limited
sponsorship and wants to try to stay in the top 35. My objection is with teams
that start and park as a business model.
But drivers have to do it in
order to stay visible.
This is the “out of sight,
out of mind” argument, which has some validity. Drivers who lose good rides
need to stick around the garage area every week in order to find a new quality
ride. So they drive for S&P teams until something better comes along. But
that doesn’t happen very often. besides, which is more impressive to a team
owner in need of a driver for a good ride -- a guy who dropped down to a lower
series and kicked butt or a guy who proves how good he is at parking?
Without the start and parks
there would be short fields.
So what? Full fields only
exist for a couple of laps at the start of each race. There is nothing magical
about the number 43. It isn’t built into any TV contracts. The Nationwide field
could be cut to 40 or even 36 cars without any loss of quality.
But even if NASCAR wanted to
get rid of S&P teams how do you come up with a rule to accomplish that?
Good question. S&P can’t
be legislated away. Unless NASCAR wants to tear down every early exit car to
see if the reported vibration was legit (which they surely don’t) there is no
way to tell if parking was by choice or chance.
But there are other ways to
discourage starting and parking -- or, rather, to encourage start and park
teams to compete more. Here’s a few I’ll call the Start and Park Reform Act of
2012:
1. Lift the ban on testing
enough to provide special test dates during the season to single-car teams. The
expenses of the single-car teams could be paid either by NASCAR or with a
luxury tax on teams with more than two cars.
2. Redistribute the way the
purse is doled out. The difference Sunday between Jeff Green in 43rd place and
Kyle Busch in 27th was $2,213. The amount of money a team could make by staying
out isn’t always enough to cover what it would cost to be able to do that.
3. Impose a general luxury
tax on multi-car teams. Teams subject to the tax could avoid paying it by
sharing resources and information with one or more single-car teams.
4. Impose penalties on
persistent start and park teams. A team that fails to complete a certain
minimum percentage of the laps over a five-race period would be suspended
briefly.
5. Hold a new contest for
unsponsored teams. NASCAR loves contests like Dash for Cash, so here’s a new
Dash for Cash. For each race in the first half of the season, teams that have
no primary sponsorship for that race can enter a special contest. They will be
competing against each other for the highest finish. The winner each week gets
a cash bonus. Whoever has the highest average finish at mid-season gets the big
prize -- a primary sponsor recruited by NASCAR to finish the season.
There’s no way to make start
and park go away for good. But it can be ameliorated. It can even be made into
something interesting with a little creative thought.
Doug Demmons
is a writer and editor for the Birmingham News ~ he writes daily and weekly
auto racing columns ranging from NASCAR to open wheel to Formula One, local
tracks and more... you can read Doug's columns online at ALABAMA MOTORSPORTS
The above was found via a
link on Jayski's website,
http://insiderracingnews.com/Writers/DD/072412.html
Midget racing results from the small track at
OCFS:
Victory
1/5
mile track at the Orange County Fairgrounds
1945
Track
was dirt
Sept.
23 1. Bill Schindler 2. Red
Sept.
30 1. Bill Schindler 2. Chet Gibbons 3. Andy DeVercelly
Oct.
7 rain
Oct.
14 no racing
Oct.
21 ?
1946
ARDC
Midgets
June
12 1. Bill Holmes 2. Chet Gibbons 3. Johnny Ritter
June
19 1. Dutch Schaefer 2. Jeep Colkitt 3. Art Cross
June
26 1. Bill Holmes 2. Ray Nestor 3. Dutch Schaefer
July
3 1. Charlie Breslin
July
10 1. Ray Nestor 2. Len Duncan 3. Jeep Colkitt
July
17 1. Dutch Schaefer 2. Chet Gibbons 3. Rex Records
July
24 1. Bill Schindler 2. Bill Holmes 3. Dutch Schaefer
July
31 rain
August
7 rain
August
14 no racing-fair
August
21 1. Bill Schindler 2. Dutch Schaefer 3. Ray Nestor
August
28 1. Bill Schindler 2. Jeep Colkitt 3. George Rice
Sept.
4 1. Tony Bonadies 2. Bill Schindler 3. Ray Nestor
Sept.
11 1. Bill Schindler 2. Ted Tappett 3. Dutch Schaefer
Sept.
18 1. Lloyd Christopher 2. Tony Bonadies 3. Al Keller
30 laps, Fords
Sept.
25 1. Bill Holmes 2. Al Keller 3. Art Cross
Oct.
2 1. Al Keller 2. Tony Bonadies 3. George Rice
1947
ARDC
midgets
May
21 rain
May
28 1. Tony Bonadies 2. Chet Conklin 3. Ernie McCoy
June
4 1. Tony Bonadies 2. Johnny Ringger
3. Rex Records
June
11 1. Dutch Schaefer 2. Tony Bonadies 3. Jeep Colkitt
June
18 1. Rex Records 2. Jeep Colkitt 3. Chet Conklin
June
25 rain
July
2 1. Tony Bonadies 2. Dutch Schaefer (6/25 feature)
July
2 1. Dutch Schaefer 2. Jeep Colkitt
July
4 1. Johnny Zeke 2. Chet Conklin 3. Allen no offy's
July
9 1. Bill Schindler 2. Al Keller 3. Jeep Colkitt
July
16 rain
July
23 1. Ted Tappett 2. Chet Gibbons 3. Len Duncan
July
30 1. Len Duncan 2. Johnny Ritter 3. Henry Renard
August
6 1. Chet Conklin 2. George Rice 3. Johnny Ringger 50
laps
August
13 no racing fair week
August
20 1. Tony Bonadies 2. Ted Tappett
3. Jeep Colkitt
August
27 1. Al Keller 2. Dutch Schaefer 3. Johnny Ringger
Sept.
3 1. Johnny Ringger 2. Jeep Colkitt
3. Don Morris
Sept.
10 1. Dutch Schaefer 2. Henry Renard 3. Mike Nazaruk
Sept.
17 1. Johnny Ringger 2. Rex Records 3. Don Morris 50
laps
Champion:
Johnny Ringger 2nd: Chet Conklin 3rd: Jeep Colkitt
1948
ARDC
Midgets
May
9 1. Tony Bonadies 2. Ray Nestor 3. Bill Schindler
May
20 1. Mike Nazaruk 2. Ray Nestor 3. Henry Renard
May
27 1. Dee Toran 2. Chet Gibbons 3. Bob Disbrow
June
3 1. Mike Nazaruk 2. Andy Furci
3. Joe Barzda
June
10 rain
June
17 1.
June
24 ?
July
1 1. Mike Nazaruk 2. Lou
Volk 3. Johnny Carpenter
July
8 1. Johnny Zeke 2. Mike Nazaruk 3. Bob Disbrow
moved
from Thursday to Wednesday night
July
14 1. Steve McGrath 2. Dutch Schaefer 3. Art Cross
July
21 rain
July
28 1. Mike Nazaruk 2. Johnny Ritter 3. Al Keller
August
4 1. Bill Schindler 2. Tony Bonadies 3.
August
11 rain
August
18 no racing-fair
August
25 1. Tony Bonadies 2. Larry Bloomer 3. Johnny Ritter
Sept.
1 1. Larry Bloomer 2. Dutch Schaefer 3. Len Fanelli
Sept.
5 1. Bill Schindler 2. Rex Records 3. Len Fanelli
Sept.
8 1. Dutch Schaefer 2. Tony Bonadies 3. Larry Bloomer
50 laps
Sept.
15 1. Johnny Peterson 2. Tony Bonadies 3. Bill
Schindler 50 laps
Mike
Nazaruk Champion
1949
ARDC
Midgets
May
15 canceled, not enough cars
May
30 1. Bob Disbrow 2. Dutch Schaefer 3. Jiggs Peters
July
19 1. Mike Nazaruk
August
9 ?
Press Releases:
NEWS FROM
Orange County Fair
CONTACT
Mike Gurda
845-342-2573
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
STOCK CAR RACING RETURNS TO ORANGE
COUNTY FAIR
MIDDLETOWN, NY (July 23)……..Following a
one-week respite from the 2012 racing schedule, stock car racing returns
to the five-eighths-mile Hard Clay Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown,
New York on Saturday, July 28, the final weekend of the 172nd Annual Orange County Fair
With sponsorship from McGannon Excavating and JHM Tree Service, the evening of speedway action will include a
four-division racing program anchored by the Big-Block Modifieds
competing for the top prize of $2,500 in a 30-lap feature race. Also on
the card are the Sportsman, Pro Stock, and Street Stock divisions in qualifying
and feature event races. And as a special attraction, fans will be treated to a
return of the 305 Sprint Cars.
With just seven more nights of racing
remaining in the 2012 point season, drivers will be out to cement the ir positions in the standings. In the headline
Modified division, Jerry Higbie holds a 30-point edge
over Tommy Meier. Sportsman division speedster Gary Edwards Jr. is 26 points
ahead of Jimmy Spellman, while Ron Nuzzaro Jr. and
Mike Dutka are tied for the lead in the Pro Stock
ranks. Finally, Charles Donald leads the Street Stock division by 36
points over Matt Burke. All will be racing on Saturday night.
Advance
The Fair closes its historic 172nd run on Sunday, July 29. The final
grandstand show during the Fair is a Middletown Auto Wreckers Demolition Derby.
Ticket prices, starting times, and other
important information for Orange County Fair are available at www.orangecountyfair.com/entertainment/grandstand.
Advance ticket sales and track information
for all remaining Orange County Fair Speedway race dates, including the 51stAnnual
Eastern States Weekend, can be found at the
I
get e-mails:
True, or not?
All I know is there is an awful lot going around on this, and somehow
maybe there is some truth to it? Bigger
question is – how come we never see this stuff on the news?
Biden may be interim
president by the end of 2012
VERY QUIETLY OBAMA'S
CITIZENSHIP CASE REACHES THE SUPREME COURT
AP - WASHINGTOND.C.
In a move certain to fuel the
debate over Obama's qualifications for the presidency, the group
"Americans for Freedom of Information" has Released copies of
President Obama's college transcripts from Occidental College ... Released
today, the transcript school indicates that Obama, under the name Barry Soetoro, received financial aid as a foreign student from
Indonesia as an undergraduate. The transcript was released by
The transcript shows that
Obama (Soetoro) applied for financial aid and was
awarded a fellowship for foreign students from the Fulbright Foundation
Scholarship program. To qualify, for the scholarship, a student must claim
foreign citizenship.
This document would seem to
provide the smoking gun that many of Obama's detractors have been seeking.
Along with the evidence that he was first born in
Gary Kreep
of the United States Justice Foundation has released the results of their
investigation of Obama's campaign spending. This study estimates that Obama has
spent upwards of $950,000 in campaign funds in the past year with eleven law
firms in 12 states for legal resources to block disclosure of any of his
personal records. Mr. Kreep indicated that the
investigation is still ongoing but that the final report will be provided to
the U.S. Attorney general, Eric Holder. Mr. Holder has refused to comment on
the matter... Isn't it illegal to use
campaign funds for personal expenses? So
why isn't he being prosecuted?
LET OTHER FOLKS KNOW THIS
NEWS, THE MEDIA WON'T!
Subject: RE: Issue of
Passport?
While I've little interest in
getting in the middle of the Obama birth issue, Paul Hollrah
over at FSM did so yesterday and believes the issue can be resolved by Obama
answering one simple question: What passport did he use when he was shuttling
between
So how did a young man who
arrived in
And once he was on a plane,
shuttling between
The American people not only
deserve to have answers to these questions, they must have answers. It makes
the debate over Obama's citizenship a rather short and simple one.
Q: Did he travel to
A : Yes, by his own
admission.
Q: What passport did he
travel under?
A: There are only three
possibilities.
1) He traveled with a
2) He traveled with a British
passport, or
3) He traveled with an
Q: Is it possible that Obama
traveled with a U.S. Passport in 1981?
A: No. It is not possible.
Conclusion: When Obama went
to
If he were traveling with a
British passport that would provide proof that he was born in
Whatever the truth of the
matter, the American people need to know how he managed to become a
"natural born" American citizen between 1981 and 2008.
Given the destructive nature
of his plans for America, as illustrated by his speech before Congress and the
disastrous spending plan he has presented to Congress, the sooner we learn the
truth of all this, the better.
If you Don't care that Your
President is not a natural born Citizen and in Violation of the Constitution,
then Delete this, and then lower your American Flag to half-staff, because the
U.S. Constitution is already on life-support, and won't survive much longer.
If you do care then Forward
this to as many patriotic Americans as you can, because our country is being
looted and ransacked!
Found on Facebook:
Posted by Billy VanInwegen
last Sunday:
“Extremely
excited about next Saturday at OCFS I will be driving the Sherlock Motorsports,
Tri-State Roofing #10. A great opportunity with a great team. I hope I can get
the job done for them!”
And:
“So I called my Dr. for an appointment today. Was routed to
an operator who took my name and asked some questions. First she said do I
consider myself hispanic or non-hispanic.
I said why are you asking me that? She said due to the new health care reform
we have to ask some questions. Next she said do I consider myself caucasian, black, hispanic of
other? Then she asked my religion - I said you have got to be joking asking
this kee-rap. She said I know, it's just the new
health care reform requires we do this. Also come in earlier so we can scan all
your cards and information - again! Can't wait until November - just venting!”
Just wondering:
What
next?
Troops march in San Diego
In part:
“Some of the loudest cheers Saturday at
Dozens of soldiers, sailors, and Marines
marched alongside an old Army truck decorated with a "Freedom to
Serve" banner and a rainbow flag. They were joined by dozens more military
personnel in civilian clothes, but the uniforms stood out among the
flower-bedecked floats and scantily clad revelers.
In a memorandum sent to all its branches
this year, the Defense Department said it was making the allowance for the
The Defense Department said Thursday it
did so because organizers had encouraged military personnel to march in their uniform
and the parade was getting national attention.
More on this, along with comments under the
article, can be found here:
http://news.yahoo.com/troops-march-san-diego-gay-parade-uniform-204528956.html
And:
Don’tcha
think that some of these TV people are slightly overpaid?
Modern Family TV show:
“An individual with knowledge of the
negotiations told TheWrap on Tuesday that series
stars Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet
and Sofia Vergara were offered $150,000 per episode
and a $50,000 bonus for the upcoming fourth season, with a bump to $200,000 per
episode for the fifth season, but rejected the offer.
Ed O'Neill, who was the biggest name on
the show when it began, earns more than his castmates
and was initially negotiating his own contract, but joined his cohorts' suit in
solidarity shortly after it was filed on Wednesday.”
American Idol TV show:
It’s being rumored that Mariah Carey could possibly be paid 18 MILLION
for a years “work” on that TV show.
Really? Damn, as far as I’m
concerned, any “Judge” on that show would be over paid at a million a year. No wonder we have so damn many commercials
anymore! Where will this madness end?
Some non-racing stuff:
US pledge to rebuild Haiti
In part:
“The deadly earthquake that
leveled
But after the rubble was cleared and the
dead buried, what the quake laid bare was the depth of
Critics say the
The international community's $10 billion
effort was also hindered by its pledge to get approval for projects from the
Haitian government. For more than a year then-President Rene Preval was, as he later described it,
"paralyzed," while his government was mostly obliterated, with 16,000 civil
servants killed and most ministries in ruins. It wasn't until earlier this year
that a fully operational government was in place to sign paperwork, adopt codes
and write regulations. Other delays included challenges to contracts,
underestimates of what needed to be done, and land disputes.
Until now, comprehensive details about who
is receiving
To see what they “show”, please go here:
http://news.yahoo.com/us-pledge-rebuild-haiti-not-being-met-170346036.html
Ford recalls 2013 Escapes; engines can catch
fire
http://news.yahoo.com/ford-recalls-2013-escapes-engines-catch-fire-123203130--finance.html
OUTRAGE: USDA Partners with Mexico to Give More Food Stamps to ‘Mexican
Nationals’ in U.S.
http://standwitharizona.com/blog/2012/07/19/outrage-usda-partners-with-mexico-to-give-more-food-stamps-to-mexican-nationals-in-u-s/
Record Greenland Ice Melt Happened in
Days
In part:
“
That's a record for the largest area of surface melt on Greenland in more than 30 years of satellite
observations, according to NASA and university scientists.
The images, snapped by three satellites,
showed that about 40 percent of the ice sheet had thawed at or near the surface
on July 8; just days later, on July 12, images showed a dramatic increase in melting with thawing across 97 percent of the
ice sheet surface.
"This was so extraordinary that at
first I questioned the result: was this real or was it due to a data
error?" said Son Nghiem of NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., referring to the July 12 images taken by the
Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO)
Oceansat-2 satellite.”
More on this can be seen here: http://news.yahoo.com/record-greenland-ice-melt-happened-days-232307293.html
Video time:
How
about a full length movie – an hour and a half?
Mickey Rooney in “The Big Wheel”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_OFRxh5D2Q
Or a couple of accidents
with two of NASCAR’s biggest drivers, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jimmie Johnson?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGR0KWLs51c
Photos:
Note: The photos are not available on Dirt Track
Digest, only on New England Tractor - http://newenglandtractor.com/racereport/
Two
photos for you this week. Both are from
Nostalgia night at OCFS a few years ago.
As you can see, there was quite a crowd and a great turn-out of drivers
from back in the day. It wasn’t too long
ago that we lost Dick Crumley, who is pictured in the
second photo, next to former driver and OCFS Official, Red Muir. How many people do you recognize in the first
photo?
Closing with these:
Tips From the Redneck Book of
Manners – continued:
WEDDINGS
1. Livestock, usually, is a
poor choice for a wedding gift.
2. Kissing the bride for more
than 5 seconds may get you shot.
3. For the groom, at least,
rent a tux. A leisure suit with a cummerbund and a clean bowling shirt can
create too sporty an appearance.
4. Though uncomfortable, say
'yes' to socks and shoes for this special occasion.
5. It is not appropriate to
tell the groom how good his wife is in the sack.
DRIVING ETIQUETTE
1. Dim your headlights for
approaching vehicles, even if the gun is loaded, and the deer is in sight.
2. When approaching a
four-way stop, the vehicle with the largest tires always has the right of way.
3. Never tow another car
using panty hose and duct tape.
4. When sending your
wife/girlfriend down the road with a gas can, it is impolite to ask her to
bring back beer.
5. Never relieve yourself
from a moving vehicle, especially when driving.
6. Do not lay rubber while
traveling in a funeral procession.
TWO REASONS WHY IT IS HARD TO
SOLVE A REDNECK MURDER:
1. All the DNA is the same.
2. There are no dental
records
May “Guardian Angels” sit on the shoulders of all of our race drivers and race fans, and guide them safely around the tracks!
Drive safe!
As usual, you can reach me
at: ygordad@yahoo.com